Fire-escape



(No Mudel) 2 sheets-sheet 1 J. E. SMOOT.

FIRE ESCAPE.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Dee. '7, 1897.

J. E. SMOOT.

FIRE ESCAPE.

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(No Model.)

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JAMES EDlWARD SMOOT, OF CONCORD, NORTH CAROLlNA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,082, dated December 7, 189'?.

Application filed May 14,1896. Serial No. 591,533. (No model) To @ZZ whom, t indy concern:

Be it known that I, J Anus EDWARD Snoer, a citizen of the United States, residing at Concord, in the county of Cabarrus and State of North Carolina, have invented a ne\v and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lire-escapes; and the object in view is to provide a device of this character which may be used upon the exterior wall of any building and which is especially designed for use upon a projecting balcony located beneath an elevated window of the building.

The improved fire-escape embodies a fiexible ladder, a windlass upon which the ladder is adapted to be wound andfrom which it may be readily unwound when required, a hinged casing for inclosing the windlass and ladder and protecting the same from the weather and also giving an ornamental nish to the balcony, and also embodies suitable mechanism for winding and unwiuding the ladder, said mechanism being so arranged as to be capable of being operated by a person standing in a safe position upon the balcony or inside of the window, as may be desired.

A further object of the invention is to so combine and arrange the features above en umerated as to facilitate the act of getting from the balcony upon the ladder, or vice versa, and to remove as far as possible the element of danger.

lVith the above objects iu view the invention consists in an improved f1re-escape embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view showing the preferred application of the improved iire-escape to a building, the latter being provided with an elevated projecting balcony and with projecting platforms adjacent to windows located under the balcony. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the folding crank-handle for operating the windlass.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates an elevated balcony projecting from the exterior wall of a building and located, preferably, at one of the uppermost windows. This balcony comprises a substantially horizontal platform, upon which one or more persons may stand, said platform being supported upon suitable consoles and provided at each side with a balustrade 2. The bottom sills 3 of the balustrades are extended beyond the normal front of the balcony to support side brackets 4, of any desired ornamental form, said brackets also serving as supports for a windlass 5.

The windlass 5 comprises ahorizonta-l shaft which is journaled at its opposite ends in the brackets 4 and provided at or near each end with flanges (i. At one end and upon the outside of the adjacent ange 6 a spur gear-wheel 7 is mounted fast upon the windlass-shaft, and this gear meshes with an intermediate gear journaled upon one of the balustrades, which intermediate gear (indicated at 8) meshes with another gear 9, also journaled conveniently on the balustrade and arranged inside of a gate 10, forming a safety-guard for the front end of the balcony.

1l designates a crank-handle, the inner end of which is bifurcated or forked, and the ends of the fork are connected pivotally to the inner gear-wheel 0 by means of one or more eyes or staples 12. This construction permits the handle to be folded flatwise against the gear-wheel 9 when not requiredr'for use, and at the same time permits the handle to be swung outward perpendicularly to the face of the gear-wheel when it is desired to turn said wheel for winding or unwinding the windlass 5.

13 represents a housing, preferably of sheet metal, which extends around the peripheries of the several gear-wheels and protects them from the weather and also obviates the liability of a persons clothing being caught between the teeth of the wheels while in operation. The handle 11 when it is folded is arranged within the housin0F 13.

r e l he gate 10, above referred to, 1s swung be- IOO tween suitable posts 14, being hinged to one n ladder is of sufficient length to reach from the balcony to the ground and is attached at its upper end to the windlass-shaft, being adapted to be wound upon the windlass and within the plane of the peripheries of the end flanges 6. At the front ends of the sills 3 is located a horizontal cross-bar 19, which may be either in the form of a stationary bar or it may be provided with a roller extending the entire length thereof. ln the winding and unwindin g of the ladder this bar or roller 19 serves as a guide over which the ladder runs, serving also to hold the ladder offset from the windlass, and said rod or roller also serves as a convenient handhold fora person in ascending or descending.

2O represents a casing of sheet metal or other suitable material having a curved front wall 21, which overlies and covers the windlass and ladder when not in use, and which also comprises a horizontal bottom wall which underlies the windlass, &c., and conceals the same from view from beneath the balcony. This horizontal base portion extends under the sills 3 and is hinged at its inner edge underneath the sills, as shown at 23, whereby the casing is adapted to swing downward for uncovering the windlass, &c. From the inner or hinged edge of the casing a plate or flooring 24 extends inward to the normal front edge of the balcony-platform,thereby entirely concealing the windlass, dac., fromv persons passing beneath the balcony.

25 indicates a chain or its equivalent, which is attached at one end to one corner of the casing 20, the other end being attached to the balustrade or other convenient point. By means of this chain the casing 20 may be raised or lowered when required.

At the windows located beneath the balcony are arranged projecting platforms 26, which extend outward into proximal relation to the depending ladder, thus enabling persons in other stories of the building to get access to the ladder, which, by the construction above described, hangs at a considerable distance from the wall of the building.

By means of the construction above described the iiexible ladder when not in use is drawn up out of the way of persons on the ground and is entirely concealed from view.

When in use, the ladder hangs at a considerable distance from the burning building, thus to a great extent protecting persons ascending or descending the ladder from the Iiames, smoke, and heat. If desired, however, the ladder may be arranged close to the wall and the operating mechanism arranged to be operated from the interior of the building, in which case the balcony and platforms at the lower windows may be dispensed with. Instead of the platforms at the lower windows poles with hooks at their ends may be used for drawing the suspended ladder inward, thus giving persons on the lower oors access to the ladder.

The various parts of the apparatus may be constructed in very light or skeleton form, so as to reduce their weight and give them an ornamental appearance.

The sill 27, under the gate 10, is coved in its inner face, as shown at 28, so as to form a bead 29 at its upper edge, said bead providing a handhold for persons while getting on and off the ladder.

When the ladder is lowered in operative position, it enables the remen to ascend to any floor of a burning building for the purpose of righting the llames and rescuing persons.

The lire-escape is very simple in construction, may be manufactured at low cost, and is perfectly practicable and reliable and may be made ornamental to the building upon which it is placed.

It will be understood that the apparatus is susceptible of various changes in. the form, proportion, and minor details of construction which may accordingly be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what :is claimed as new is* The combination with an elevated balcony, having a balustrade, of a windlass journaled in the projecting end of the balcony outside of the balustrade, a flexible ladder adapted to be wound upon the windlass, suitable gearing for operating the windlass, a hinged casing adapted to cover the windlass and ladder and to conceal the same, and a flexible connection attached at one end to said casing and having its opposite end arranged within reach of a person standing on the balcony, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES EDWARD SMOOT.

WVitnesses:

B. E. HAINs, J. L. HARTsELL.

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